The Swakopmund municipality at its ordinary council meeting last week announced that a total of 897 beneficiaries at Swakopmund’s DRC settlement will receive homeownership certificates, granting them access to municipal services and allowing them to construct houses on their land.
This comes in response to long-standing housing and land provision issues in the region.
“We are committed to making a positive impact in the lives of the people in the DRC settlement.
“This land-ownership programme will empower our citizens to build a better future for themselves and their families,” Swakopmund mayor Dina Namubes said at the meeting, adding that the handover will take place on 16 April.
The beneficiaries expressed cautious optimism following the announcement.
“We are hopeful that this time the promises made by the authorities will be fulfilled. We’ve been waiting for so long, and it’s time for action. Our community needs stability, and owning land is a step in the right direction,” community representative Caroline Kasenda said.
About three weeks ago, she and other frustrated informal settlers and renters petitioned the Swakopmund municipal council to speed up the provision and servicing of land and the provisioon of houses.
Many say they have been on waiting lists for decades.
Under the Flexible Land Tenure Act, the municipality aims to simplify the process of obtaining land titles for low-income earners.
The government will assist eligible beneficiaries in securing ownership certificates, enabling them to use the land and secure financing for construction.
“The Flexible Land Tenure Act is a crucial tool in addressing housing and land ownership concerns at Swakopmund. By providing land titles to our residents we can help them secure stable housing, access basic services and invest in their future,” municipality spokesperson Linda Mapupa said.
The municipality plans to develop over 1 000 erven in the formalised DRC, with the master waiting list for housing currently comprising around 22 000 people.
“We’ll wait and see if the mayor’s promises come true. As long as we receive proof of ownership and can finally build our homes, we’ll be grateful for this opportunity to improve our living conditions,” Kasenda said.
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